Matthew chapter 13 again this morning. Matthew chapter 13. I don't know if we're going to get through all this chapter as far as the parables of the kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. Matthew chapter 13. I want for us to look at the beginning of the chapter once again as we go into the parable of the tares and of the wheat. Matthew chapter 13, notice verses 1 through 3. Matthew chapter 13, notice verse one, the same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the seaside, and great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship and sat, and notice the whole multitude stood on the shore. And it says, he spake many things unto them, and parables sang. And of course, the first one that we studied last week is a sower went forth to sow. One of the things I want to emphasize as we go into this second parable here this week is that understanding of all the parables that he's teaching here is based and dependent on this first one. Remember again, we have to compare all these things and that'll help us from, keep us from going into error as far as these parables. Because for example, Levin, there are some who have a wrong idea as far as Levin, as far as the parables here, because they're going away, straying from the standard that Jesus set as far as this first parable. And again, as I wanna emphasize, it's by way of review since some were not here last week. But as you think about why he's teaching parables, we often have the idea in mind he's teaching these parables so that people can understand. No, in fact, what he's doing is he's concealing some things from those who refuse to believe. Again, this is in the context of some of them even saying that Jesus is casting out devils by way of Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. Again, these blasphemous things that were said in their unbelief. The reason why he's giving these parables is to essentially filter out those who do not want the truth. So let me ask you today, Do you want the truth? As we continue on through these parables here this morning. Notice again, as far as these parables, they're given to the disciples to filter out those who do not want the truth. Now, as you go down to verse 24, then we have parable number two here, a famous, a well-known parable, parable of the wheat and the tares, the tares and the wheat. It's actually the tares is what is emphasized as far as this parable. It says in verse 24, another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. Again, as you notice here, this man, I believe as you go back to the first parable, we're talking about Jesus Christ. He's the one who's sowing the seed as he's preaching the gospel in Israel and Galilee. So notice he's sowing good seed in his field. That's the only seed he can sow. The seed of the Word of God, as we saw, the uncorruptible seed in 1 Peter 1. Verse 25, but while men slept, notice his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, notice then appeared the tares also. Now, I want to explain just briefly about these tares. When we often read the Bible, do we truly understand what it's saying here? Now, tares look like wheat. And from what I understand, I was just reminded of this here this last week, as the wheat and the tares grow together, as the wheat ripens, the seed of the wheat will actually start drooping down where the tares will stay stand up, standing straight up. So it looks like wheat. So basically it looks like pseudo wheat. I use that term on purpose because there are a lot of people who claim to be a Christian, but they are hypocrites. What is a hypocrite? It's somebody who's pretending to be something publicly that they are not privately. I could say it this way also, a pseudo-Christian. A pseudo-Christian is one who claims the term Christian, but they're not truly a believer in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. They're a pretend Christian, sometimes we could call them a professing Christian. making a profession of faith in Christ, but they're dependent on prayer that they said, they're dependent on something like baptism or anything like that, dependent on the sacraments. The pagan temple down the street calls themselves Christians. In fact, I know they do because we just received our yearly invitation for their ladies thing, I think it's March 27th, in honor of Easter, Good Friday and all that. Well, I put them back, put all their tickets back in an envelope and included one of our bridge cards and I sent it back to them yesterday. So hopefully they see that there is a bridge that they're missing. Jesus Christ is not on a cross today. He's risen forevermore. They call themselves Christians, an ecumenical Christian gathering, ecumenical ladies meeting in the community of Crete. Well, I asked them to take us off the mailing list. They're not Christians, they're trusting in sacraments other than the Lord Jesus Christ, death, burial, and resurrection. They don't truly believe that there is a resurrected Lord. They worship somebody that's on a cross yet. These are pseudo-Christians. They look like a Christian, they talk like a, they even use the terminology in many cases, but the Lord knows that they are tares. Verse 27, so the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? For whence then hath it tares? Now there are some who teach that this is during the millennial kingdom, that Satan is sowing seed amongst the kingdom and all that. This is this dispensational type of thing where everything's in the future and all those kinds, no. Things are being fulfilled now. I believe we already have the Antichrist in power today. We already have all of these things, but I want you to notice though, it says that some say that this is the good seed and Satan is sowing the bad seed during the Millennial Kingdom. How is that possible when Satan is bound for a thousand years? Do we stop and think about what we're saying based on what scripture says? How could it be Satan sowing bad seed in the millennial kingdom, and everyone rises up at the end and rebels against the Lord, when Satan is bound for a thousand years? We need to go back to what the Bible says. Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tears? Where are these fake Christians, these pseudo-Christians coming from, we could say today? He said unto them, an enemy hath done this. The servant said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay, lest while you gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Now let's go back here. Notice here it says, An enemy hath done this. Notice with me 1 Timothy chapter four. 1 Timothy chapter four. 1 Timothy chapter four. I want you to notice here that Satan and his devils are busy now sowing seed called Tares. It says here in 1 Timothy 4, verse 1, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. See, notice there's a remnant. We'll talk about that this afternoon. Some shall depart from the faith, not all. There's not gonna be an absolute total apostasy at the end of what's commonly called the church age. Notice, some shall depart from the faith, not everyone. God will always, always, always have a remnant of believers. Giving heed to seducing spirits, and notice, doctrines of devils. I wanna point out here that this prophecy was fulfilled, and much of it was fulfilled when the Roman church was established. seducing spirits, doctrines of devils. Because you notice he gives explanation, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry. Oh, I wonder what church forbids certain ones to be married today. Notice that, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from certain meats on Friday. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm explaining too much here. Abstaining from meats. I've told you this story before, but I'm gonna mention it again. Since we're in this season, quote-unquote, of Lent and all that, that's why we don't observe this, because that's from a pagan festival observance. Years ago, I was in Ankeny, Iowa, I was one who provided help for those who had learning disabilities so they could live in their own homes. And there was one young man that I had much, many hours with, They were from a Catholic family. And he had a learning disability. And one of the things that we were told to do is help them to make their own decisions. And so one of the things we would often do is give them options for what they wanted for lunch. You know, what do you want for lunch? Well, I mean, he, I don't know if he chose hot dogs or what. I had no, I did not even think, it's Friday. It's Friday. I'm a Baptist. I don't care. I'll eat pork, beef, whatever on Friday. I don't care. So it's Friday, and he says, I want hot dogs or whatever. I don't remember what he chose, but it was meat. It was not fish on Friday. Well, his older brother was his primary care provider. And so he arrived there and said, what did you have for lunch today? And he said what they had for lunch today. And his brother said, it's Friday. You should have saw the look of horror that came over his face when he realized he made a bad choice on Friday. I didn't drop over dead when I ate that meat on Friday with him. He didn't drop dead either. But that was a horrible, wicked thing that he did by choosing to eat meat on Friday. Forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them. I was thankful. Which believe and know the truth. Also want you to notice in 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2. Again, this is the process by which Satan is using to sow tares amongst the wheat. 2 Peter 2, verses 1 through 3. Notice it says here, verse one, but there were, notice past tense, false prophets also among the people. Even as there shall be, notice he's emphasizing the future here at this point of the writing, shall be false teachers among you, notice among you, who privilege secretly, privately, shall bring in damnable heresies. Now I have some examples written down in the margin of my Bible here. So-called radio ministries. You better be careful what you listen to on the radio. I didn't hear any amens. You better be careful what you listen to on the radio. I believe that is one way Satan is getting false teaching into homes, to families. Rick Warren is on so-called Christian radio. He's a wicked, wicked man. He lacks separation. And I could list others on the local radio station. Here's what I want you to consider, book publishers. You can have your best life now, Joel Osteen says. Yeah, you can have your best life now and go to hell forever and ever, because he doesn't even know what the gospel is. These are ways that privily, secretly, they bring in damnable heresies into homes. TV evangelists, teachers, online chat rooms and blogs. Sometimes it can happen by way of a church member. Oh, have you ever heard this teaching? Notice, who privilege shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. Notice this, and many shall follow their pernicious ways. The word pernicious means destructive and injurious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness, here's how you know, here's how you pay attention to a teacher who's bringing in damnable heresies. They're getting rich off of fleecing the flocks They're living in a million dollar house, guess what? You better check it out. They're probably teaching false doctrine because many are following them. Notice it says, through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not. Also Jude, the book of Jude. I want you to notice that Peter mentioned future tense. Now Jude mentioned something different here. Notice verse three. Jude verse three, beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith. Well, you're just so contentious. No, I'm not contentious. I'm not looking for a fight. I am not, this preacher is not looking for a fight. One of the ways God used to bring in error into the modern day Christianity is Billy Graham. Our people know that. I've told this story. I preached, used Billy Graham as an example one month and the next month when the visitors came back, the woman cornered me and said, you talked about Billy Graham last time. I said, I'm not judging Billy Graham. And I pointed up to the pulpit where my Bible was, I said, that book is judging Billy Graham. Billy Graham says that people can get to heaven another way other than Jesus Christ. That is a damnable heresy related to Jesus Christ. Notice, earnestly contend for the faith. I'm not looking for a fight. I don't want to be contentious, but I will contend for this book right here. I will contend for the truth of the word of God. Notice, which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are, notice present tense now, Jude says, for there are certain men crept in unawares. Notice they're coming in secretly. I want you to think of the example of Judas Iscariot that we saw a few weeks back. Judas Iscariot fooled all the other disciples. He fooled everyone but Jesus. In fact, he was even the treasurer. Think about that. They creep in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice we also act chapter five. I'm gonna show you another example here. I've told you before, but I used to teach that Ananias and Sapphira were Christians that were led astray. I don't believe so anymore. I believe because of the statement in this passage. that they were tares among wheat. At chapter 5, verse 1, a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession. I want you to notice here they are not called disciples like the rest of the church was. That's very important to take notice of that. Notice a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife. Notice they sold a possession, piece of land, piece of property. and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet." Now, let me ask you, was it wrong for them to sell a piece of property? No. Was it wrong for them to only bring part of the proceeds of that property to the church? No. That was theirs to determine between God and them what they were to do with that, sell that property. Peter said, notice, and Ananias, Why hath Satan filled thine heart? There's why I say they are tares. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land? Notice they're pretending to give all. Whilst it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Notice this statement, thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Notice God, the Holy Spirit, He was lying to God, the Holy Ghost. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down. By the way, you notice Peter is dropped dead right now. No, Peter's not the one who said that. This was God's judgment upon him. Because he had a public sin here, Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that heard these things. Oh, somebody died in church. Yeah, I mean, that gets your attention. In Hawaii, we had a, I had asked a man in his early 90s to teach Sunday school class one morning and he, older man, I mean he didn't get enough to eat in that morning and he had diabetes really bad and all of a sudden he's not feeling too well sitting there teaching and everyone ran to the front to keep him from dropping on the concrete floor. Yeah, we got the, paramedics in the church that day and everything. Here's the reality of it. When somebody falls over physically, it gets everybody's attention. Everybody's like, wow, I don't know if I wanna go to that church. People die over there. Notice, he heard these words and he fell down and gave up the ghost. Verse six, and the young man arose, wound him up and carried him out and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. She was running a little late for church, had to get her hair right and everything. Peter answered unto her, notice, tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. Notice, he's going to confront this wickedness here. And she said, yea, for so much, thinking about what her and her husband had arranged. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, just like that, and yielded up the ghost. The young man came in and found her dead, and carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. Yeah, I think this is true. Great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. tares among the wheat. As you go back to Matthew 13, I want you to notice again, he says, an enemy hath done this. What Satan is all about today is he's trying to sow tares among the wheat. So you think about this so-called Christian cults. There is no such thing as a Christian cult. Mormonism is wickedness, it is false teaching. Glenn Beck years ago, I don't know if I have, I haven't heard anything about him lately, but Glenn Beck years ago would say, I am that I am. That's a statement that Jesus Christ made about his name. I heard with my own ears on his program. I am that I am. I am you fill in the blank. Mormons believe that you can become a God and go off to your own, start your own planet. They're Christians. Well, evidently, because Liberty University invited Glenn Beck to speak for them on more than one occasion and has given him an honorary doctorate. I think the moral majority's kind of messed up today. The JWs. Now come and be very kind as they're presenting their heresy at your door. The JWs have been busy in this area. They have a special gathering. What is it, the end of the month? Oh, they look good. They're Satan's ministers, the Bible says. The servant said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? Why is it that the Lord is not removing all these heretics today? Notice what he said, Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. What I think is very interesting is the Catholic Inquisition violated this right here. Heretics. They're hunting out heretics. Anyone who disagrees with them, by the way. By the way, you don't believe what the Catholic Church teaches, you're a heretic. And you would have been hunted down back during the Protestant Reformation and before. Literally, they're trying to root up what they thought was heresy. I want you to consider, notice, Jesus himself says, nay, that's why you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. Now let me ask you, when is the harvest? I used to believe, until I studied out this verse, I used to believe that the harvest started seven years before the actual coming of the Lord, what's commonly called a pre-trib rapture. Read this verse very carefully. If that's the case, if believers are taken out seven years before the official coming of the Lord, final coming of the Lord, notice there's a problem with this verse here then. And in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the believers, the wheat, right? Is that what your Bible says? Gather together first, whom? The tares. Who are the tares? People that look like wheat. Notice at the end, he says, gather first together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn. How is that possible for unbelievers to be raptured first when there's a pre-trib rapture? Again, 30 years I preached that. All of a sudden, what the Bible says without Schofield's outline, I have a problem. I want you to notice with me Revelation chapter 14. Revelation chapter 14. I want you to see here, as far as this harvest, how the Lord describes this. Revelation chapter 14, notice with me verse 14 and following. Notice what he says here about the harvest. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, obviously the Lord Jesus, having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. Another angel came out of the temple, I believe the temple in heaven there, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time has come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And so notice he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and notice the earth was reaped. Another angel out of the temple, which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle, notice, and another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even into the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Consider also chapter 16, Chapter 16, so what are we talking about as far as this gathering of the tares? Notice chapter 16 then, verse 13. Remember I preached a message from this passage entitled Frogs in Armageddon. Notice it says in verse 13, and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs. So these are devilish spirits, demonic spirits. Spirits like frogs. Notice come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Notice this counterfeit triune Godhead. Satan always has his counterfeit. I've mentioned that here recently. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Not to believers, to unbelievers. I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, spiritually notice, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. Again, as you think about this harvest, as you go back to Matthew 13. Jesus, again, says very clearly, let both grow together until the harvest. And in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather you together first the tares, the unbelievers, and bind them in bundles, bind them into gatherings to burn them. So how do we explain this? All right, so people gather into groups. They gather into an online chat group. They gather into this fake church. They gather into this cult. Unbelievers, so-called Christians, are gathering together in various groups. I believe the Lord is using that to gather them together even now. But do you notice it says here, gather first the tares and bind them into bundles to burn them. They're going to hell. But gather the wheat, the believers, into my barn. Another parable. So here's parable number three. He's going to insert these before the explanation. Another parable, notice, put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. All right, so notice, consistent interpretation means the man is Jesus. He's sowing the seed. Notice, he sowed in his field. We're gonna see in this passage, the field is the world, which indeed is the least of all seeds, small beginnings. Jesus said, little flock, it is my father's desire to give thee the kingdom. We are little flock. I don't ever wanna be a megachurch, there's too many corrupt megachurches, anyway. Why are we building all these big megachurches instead of sending people out to start churches where we're bringing all these people in? Yeah, we're having quite a few people from up north here. We may have to take a look at another location, I don't know. But think about this. Literally, they're trying to build this mega church. Why is it that churches are busing people in from hours away? Instead of sending people out to start a church in those areas, because they're busing in children, but they're not bringing in any parents, whatever. Baptist churches are doing that. Anyway. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, small seed, the smallest of seeds, Jesus says. Notice, which a man took and sowed in his field. He started in the world. He didn't start the church in heaven. He started it here, which indeed is the least of all seeds, the smallest of seeds. But notice when it is grown, it is the greatest of herbs, among herbs. and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches that are up." Now, some people have a positive view of the birds. I don't think so. Notice it says back in verse 4, again, the first parable, the seed and the sower. Notice the first parable tells us how to understand these birds. It says in verse 4, and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside. Notice the fowls came and devoured them up. So what are the fowls? Verse 19 tells us. When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, the devil himself, and catcheth away that which is sown in his heart, this is he which received seed by the wayside. These birds have to be understood as evil spirits, unclean spirits. Again, to be consistent with the first parable. So he says, the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Roman Catholicism is in the branches of the Christian tree. Again, I say, that is not Christianity, that is pagan idolatry and Judaism mixed together. That's what it is. It's not Christianity. They took the Roman gods and renamed them after Christian names. But also, when you consider the so-called Christianity today, pseudo-Christianity, rockin' and rollin' and havin' a party, and then you have a little 20-minute talk, that's not Christianity. It doesn't match up with what the Bible says. Again, lodging in the branches of the tree. I know what I'm talking about. I grew up in a church that is no longer a church. It's a rock and roll concert every Lord's Day. That's what it is. Sad to say it's somebody I went to Bible college with that should know better. Verse 33, another parable, spake he unto them. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took. Notice that, leaven which a woman took. And notice, hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. Now there are some who say that this is the church, the kingdom of heaven, spreading its influence throughout the world. Leaven in the Bible is always, always negative. Why is it that the Old Testament Jew was told, Israel, not Jew at that point, the Old Testament Israel, why were they told to have unleavened bread for their Passover observance? The days of unleavened bread, they were told to, Get the leaven out of the house. Leaven is always something bad. I wanna notice a couple examples here. First of all, notice with me Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16. I wanna point out here that there's a lot of people in Christianity today that teach that you have to be baptized in order to be saved. I wanna point out here that, I just mentioned this, taught this on Wednesday night, but as you think about baptism, Baptism is not a part of the gospel according to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1. But I want you to notice something here as far as this leaven. Matthew 16, verse 6. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Now let me ask you, is that something good or bad? And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand? Neither remember the five loaves, or the five thousand, how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves, or the four thousand, how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand? Why don't you understand that I speak not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Then understood they how he bade them not to beware of the leaven of bread, physical bread that you can eat, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. This is why I often say the Pharisees were the legalists of Jesus' day. You've got to be baptized plus believe in Jesus in order to be saved. You've got to keep the law. You've got to do all this. The Pharisees in Acts chapter 15 says, except they don't keep the law of Moses, they cannot be saved. It says Pharisees which believed taught that. They were coming into the church, oh, I became a father of that way. But we believe, we still believe, you have to keep the Old Testament law in order to be saved. You can't just believe in Jesus. That's the Pharisees, that's leaven, that's false doctrine. You think about this. We recently had contact with somebody that maybe had to be baptized in order to be saved. Baptism for salvation. I keep saying this. You can't find water clear enough and pure enough on this earth to wash away your sins. So what about the Sadducees? Those are the liberals. Do you realize how many liberals today will call themselves a Christian? as they deny the very things that we believe and the Bible teaches. The example that just came to my mind is Andy Stanley. Oh, why is it that so many so-called Christians are listening to Andy Stanley? Because they are not believers themselves. Andy Stanley does not believe the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is a necessity. If we have no virgin birth, guess what? We have no salvation, we have no Savior yet. That's the liberals. They don't believe in anything supernatural. I want you to notice another one in Mark chapter eight. This is another big one today. Mark chapter eight. So we have the 11 of the Pharisees, legalism. The Sadducees, liberalism. I want you to notice also this one here. Mark chapter eight, verses 14 and 15. This is modern day Christianity in America. Mark 8 verse 14, Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. But notice, there's another one. The leaven of Herod. Herod was a politician. Herod was a politician. The Herodians. Think about this. We have the leaven of Patriotism in the church today. Sorry, Donald Trump is not the hope for America. Jesus Christ is the hope for America. Levin. The Bible does not speak very highly of Levin at all. In fact, 1 Corinthians 5 even talks about that in the midst of sin in the church. The church at Corinth was proud of their toleration of sin. Sorry, we're not gonna tolerate sin because what's done in the church teaches everyone else. Paul even talks about leaven. You're leavened. The church had sin permeating it because of their tolerance of sin. Leaven is not a good thing, because you notice it says back in Matthew 13, it was a woman who took, not the man. Notice again, consistently, a man, a man, a man, the son of man, sowing the seed. Well, now we have a woman who's doing this leaven. I believe Revelation 17 tells us who that woman is, the spiritual harlot, which I believe is the Roman church. Verse 34, all these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables, and without a parable spake he not unto them, that it might be fulfilled which were spoken by the prophet, in Psalm 78, verse two, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Psalm 78 speaks of it as being dark sayings of old. Notice then Jesus sent the multitude away. So as the multitude is sent away, notice others who have been listening to what Jesus is saying notice that. It says, then he sent away the multitudes and went into the house. And notice he's going to spend some more time explaining things to his disciples, his immediate disciples. His disciples came unto him saying, declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. And the answer said unto them, he that soweth the good seed is the son of man. Notice again the consistency of the parables here. Just like the first parable, the one who's sowing the good seed is Jesus Christ, the son of man. The field is the world. Notice, Jesus is very clearly telling us how to understand this parable. The good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one. It's very interesting. Jesus told the Pharisees, you have your father, the devil. Well, we're descendants of Abraham. Jesus said, I know, I know. I know you're physical descendants of Abraham, but you have your father, the devil. The will of your father you will do. Notice that very clearly. The tares of the kingdom of the wicked one, the children of the wicked one, the enemy that sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire. That can be nothing else but the lake of fire. So shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend. Notice he's going to gather out of his kingdom all things that offend them which do iniquity. I think it's very interesting. He's going to gather out all things that offend. How many times we saw the Jewish leaders in the Gospels are offended at what Jesus had to say. Well, Jesus said, I'm offended, you're being offended at me. They're going to hell because of it. Jesus said to the Pharisees, these religious leaders, you can't believe, you refuse to believe and hear what I have to say. I notice them which do iniquity. I shall cast them in a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then, notice, shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Notice what Jesus says about this in Matthew 24. Matthew 24 as far as the description of the second coming. This is a very interesting statement right at the beginning in verse 29. I told you before that I used to preach a seven-year tribulation. but I can't even find seven years mentioned in the book of Revelation. And this statement right here also grabbed my attention immediately after the tribulation of those days. Immediately after the tribulation of those days. As we read this, I want you to notice, pay attention to some things. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then, notice, shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. Well, this is the second coming. I know, this is the second coming, when he gathers both the believers and unbelievers to their proper places. Notice, then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Pay attention to verse 31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet. Oh, that's very interesting. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, we read about a sound of a trumpet. These are the same events. Notice it says, the sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect. Those are believing Jews. Why do we twist what the Bible actually says? Notice his elect. Who's the elect? We've been studying who the elect are. It's God's people. Notice it says, from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other. Learn the parable of the fig tree, when his branch is yet tender and put forth his leaves, notice no fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So likewise, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near even at the doors. Again, this coming, I want you to notice with me Daniel chapter 12. As we think about what Jesus said there as far as the righteous shining forth as the sun, I don't believe we fully understand what we are going to be like when we see Jesus face to face. You know, we have this worldly mindset as far as what it's gonna be like. I want you to notice what the Lord says here. Daniel 12, verse one. At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was there since a nation even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. Oh, that sounds like the book of life. and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." It sounds like the resurrection, right? That happens supposedly at the rapture. By the way, the rapture is a word not found in the Bible. I prefer the Bible word, translation. Notice, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. I want you to notice again, it says in verse three, they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. Here's what I believe took place in the Garden of Eden. You know, it says Adam and Eve were naked, but they're not ashamed. Here's why they were not ashamed. I believe God created them in His image after His likeness. So I believe Adam and Eve were clothed with God's glorious light. When they sinned, they lost that. That's why they, oh, were naked. Then all of a sudden, they're ashamed because of their guilty conscience. So what's this saying right here? It says here, the righteous shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. They that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. We are gonna be like Jesus. Let me ask you, what was Jesus like on the Mount of Transfiguration? Like the brightness of the sun. We are gonna be lights ourselves. We're gonna shine as bright as the sun. We're gonna shine like the stars forever and ever. You notice what Jesus says again, then shall the righteous shine forth as the son and the king with their father who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Why is it that we place our understanding, we try to force something in the scriptures when we don't listen to what Jesus himself says? Notice with me James chapter one. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. I wanna point out something here as far as application. It's not enough for us to hear what the preacher says, what the teacher says, We need to apply that truth to our lives. Notice it says here in verse 21 of James chapter one. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. Notice, receive with meekness the engrafted word, the word that is implanted by instruction, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only. All right, so what are you going to do about this today? The wheat and the tares. First of all, you better make sure you're not a tare. In fact, I think a lot of the tares, spiritually speaking, don't even recognize that they're not wheat. I say this so many times. Repeat this prayer after me. So then you ask them later, what do you trust in the kingdom of heaven? I prayed a prayer at the altar. That's what you're trusting in? It's not the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? A tare looks like a Christian. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. I wonder how many people are gonna be self-deceived all the way to hell. I grew up in church. That doesn't mean you're a Christian. Yeah, your parents took you to church. That doesn't mean you're a Christian. Like it's often said, God doesn't have any grandchildren. If you're not a child of God, you're not a child of God. You're not wheat. So many are deceived in their own selves. For him to be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like an old man beholding his natural face in a glass, looking in a mirror. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. You notice here, they see what needs to change in the mirror, but they make no correction of what they see. So let me ask you, when you see something, I hope you see something in the Word of God other than just when it's preached. Notice, we are to see what the Bible says, let it reflect what's not right in our lives, and get it right. By the way, there needs to be some repentance, for salvation never take place. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. No correction, no repentance. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, oh, this outward appearance, oh, he looks like wheat, and brighteth not his tongue, but deceived with his own heart." Notice, his heart is self-deceived. This man's religion is vain. There's so much vain religion today. One of the things I mentioned here recently, one of the videos, I think it was forward, it's like taking the word of God, wrapping it up in a Bible-looking appearance thing and kicking it across the platform. Oh, I think Satan loved that moment. Kicking the word of God across the platform. God's word that has been magnified above all his name. That's modern day churchianity. Oh, they're Christians. They're Christians. Vain religion, that's what that is. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless windows in their affliction and notice to keep himself unspotted from this world. unspotted from the world. That's why I know most of modern day Christianity is not true Christianity. So we'll be looking at Romans 11 again this afternoon. Remember our talks there about the remnant in Elijah's day? I decided to figure that up a little bit. I know easily, easily, there were 700,000 people in Northern Kingdom of Israel, where Elijah was prophet. And God says, I have 7,000 men which have not bowed the knee to Baal. So 7,000 out of more than one million people, probably. It says 7,000 men. Maybe there's men plus women and children. Bible doesn't say, you know, because 5,000 men plus women and children, it says in the New Testament. But here's the reality of it. 7,000 would be less than 1% believers. Worshippers of Jehovah instead of Baal in Elijah's day. Think about that. I told you last week, 65 to 70% of Americans claim to be Christians. Just a few, 2019 I think was the year. And yet you look at how wicked America has become. I don't think 65 to 70% are true Christians. They're tares. They're tares. Lord, I pray that you'd help us as we consider this truth here today. The wheat and the tares. I pray that everyone here today is a true believer in Jesus Christ, what Jesus called wheat. And Lord, in the context, he's talking about people who are fruitful, some 30, some 60, some 100-fold. Lord, if there's no fruit in our lives, can we truly claim to be a Christian? Holy Spirit of God, I pray that even right now, you'd have freedom to work in hearts, to examine hearts, But Paul told the church at Corinth, examine yourselves whether you'd be in the faith. Lord, there's so many today, so many who claim to be a Christian, but there's no evidence that can be seen in their lives. Lord, I pray that you'd help us as true believers in Christ to be unspotted from this world, Lord. To be fruitful for the Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit of God, bring application to our hearts. In Jesus' name, amen.